We present the painting project by Kateryna Biletina, a member of Ukrainian Cosmopolis — “Ukrainian Portrait” — a large-scale, long-term exploration of the visual code of Ukrainian cultural identity.
Since 2004, the artist has been working on this artistic cycle as a gallery of contemporary figures, where tradition and modernity intertwine. In her works, she portrays both well-known and unknown Ukrainians in traditional attire, exploring cultural identity through portraiture.
In 2024, the project marked its 20th anniversary and now includes over 500 portraits created in various painting styles and techniques. Throughout the process, the artist continuously experiments with form, genre, and visual language, reinterpreting the classical realistic portrait and giving it a contemporary resonance.
A selection from the “Ukrainian Portrait” series presented at the Literary Museum continues the project’s international exhibition activity. Traveling exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad promote Ukrainian culture, ethnography, and visual traditions.
In addition to portraits, the exhibition also features floral still lifes — a reflection of the artist’s fascination with the harmony and beauty of the surrounding world.
A significant part of the exhibition is dedicated to works from the “Northern Black Sea Region” cycle, created since 2013 along the Odessa coast and in Bessarabia. These works emerged within the context of the plein air festival “Color of Velvet,” which brought together various artistic practices — painting, music, ceramics, performance, and poetry.
New images in the artist’s work are shaped by the local environment — the sea, winds, music, and ancient myths. The atmosphere of the velvet season and the region’s multicultural dialogue become a source of inspiration and define the project’s unique artistic language.
The exhibition “Ukrainian Portrait” will take place at the Odessa Literary Museum (2 Lanzheronivska St.) on Tuesday, February 17, at 15:00.
For those unable to attend the opening, a curatorial tour and an artist talk will be held on Saturday, February 21, from 14:00 to 16:00.